My 1980s childhood memories of Purim are limited to receiving a yellow triangle cardboard box at Hebrew School, dry and crumbly hamantaschen, a noisy grogger, and not-quite-chocolate carob snacks. I didn't grow up with a tradition of swapping mishloach manot or attending a Megillah reading and spiel. In short, I was an unlikely volunteer to be tapped to launch a Purim basket exchange program at my reform synagogue.
But they asked. And I said yes.
How could I not? It was the perfect project for me. It would be a few months-long commitment that would hopefully benefit my beloved temple with no lofty fundraising expectations. Plus, I would get to design gift baskets, shop for treats to share, and indulge my penchant for making sticker labels with silly puns and fun fonts.
A Temple Board member first heard about the Purim Project at a Reform Judaism conference. Billed as a community-engaging fundraiser, the web-based software behind Purim Project makes it easy for school and synagogue organizers to raise money while connecting members in the sweet mitzvah of swapping gifts and greetings (the Purim Project takes a tiny administrative fee of 2.5% of total funds raised).
I had to read up on the four mitzvot of Purim, understanding the Megillah, giving gifts to friends and neighbors, eating a special meal, and supporting those in need. My friend and fellow congregant, Debbie, taught me that mishloach manot traditionally includes two different ready-to-eat food items and, often, a grogger or another small but noisy toy.
From Debbie and our temple administrator, Jessica, I also learned about the trend of themed-Purim baskets. I began to troll discount stores for intriguing items and inexpensive vessels. One year, we used a dollar store planter for our “Grow and Bloom” theme, and another was a popcorn bucket for a movie-themed basket. Last year, we filled a gold basket with a citrus-print IKEA tea towel with bright yellow items for our “Here Comes the Sun” theme. Folding in the mitzvah of giving tzedakah, we included sunflower seeds for planting and a donation option that raised $1400 for HIAS's Ukraine Crisis Response fund.
For several pre-COVID years, religious school students from kindergarteners to teens helped us bake hamantaschen for each of the one hundred baskets. Since then, we've transitioned to a virtual baking class. Our basket development, assembly, and delivery team has grown each year. My husband and kids have helped with every stage, from shopping to delivering. My boys even printed these amazing hamantaschen cookie cutters on our 3D printer. Working with more seasoned temple volunteers, I witnessed the power of making old-fashioned phone calls to solicit helpers versus my typical Gen-X fallback of group e-mails and texts.
In March 2020, just before the pandemic shut everything down, I relied on that team to take over our Purim Project distribution entirely, as I rushed to be with my grandmother in home hospice. The following COVID winter, our Purim crew met in my garage to pack up my favorite theme: Our “Just Add Ice Cream” basket. Then, we tucked a Temple Sinai branded ice scream scoop and gobs of sundae toppings into a white cardboard box with suggestions (and sticker labels) to re-use the package as a Tzedek Box, an emerging justice ritual we've adopted at Temple Sinai.
Attending the Megillah reading and spiel—in person or virtually—has become part of my family's tradition. We get to see the silly (and often, brilliant and political) sides of our rabbi, cantor, religious schoolteachers, and members, who last year had the whole sanctuary singing an Encanto-inspired “We Don't Talk About Haman.”
Our rabbi has shared powerful wisdom in greeting all members, explaining how “Purim teaches us that love eclipses hate.” Besides making for a super sticker, these words are a critical guide for families during these times of rampant antisemitism, ideological intolerance, and extremism. It's a lesson I'm happy to model for my kids and spread through our community.
I'm proud to have added Purim to my family's holiday observances and to be organizing our 6th Purim Project this March. It's become a reliable source of extra funds for the temple and an opportunity to connect with congregants. This year's theme is red-hot, but it's too top-secret to share. But… if you'd like to order one, let me know. We ship to college kids and grandparents across the United States.
About the Author
Jodie Sadowsky is a lawyer and freelance writer appearing on Kveller, Tablet, and in the New York Times. She resides with her husband and their three children in Connecticut, where they are happily engaged with their Reform congregation, Temple Sinai of Newington. Jodie also manages publicity for the emerging Jewish ritual Tzedek Box.
January 13, 2023